


First Kiss Formula

by slotumn



Series: Wherever the Wind May Take Us [6]
Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Angst, Angst and Romance, Awkward Kissing, During Timeskip (Fire Emblem: Three Houses), F/M, Female My Unit | Byleth, Fire Emblem: Three Houses Golden Deer Route, First Kiss, Fluff and Angst, Goddess Tower (Fire Emblem), Kissing, Platonic Female/Male Relationships, Platonic Kissing, Post-Timeskip | War Phase (Fire Emblem: Three Houses), Pre-Timeskip | Academy Phase (Fire Emblem: Three Houses), Sort Of, no beta we die like Glenn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-04
Updated: 2020-03-04
Packaged: 2021-02-28 18:29:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 865
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23011774
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/slotumn/pseuds/slotumn
Summary: The formula for first kisses are, that you lean in as your heart thumps, close your eyes, make contact, and it's a bit awkward, but also sweet and special and a memory you'll cherish for the rest of your life.Life doesn't go according to formulas.A.K.A. Claude and Lysithea's first kisses that aren't with each other, and the ones afterwards that are.
Relationships: Lysithea von Ordelia/Claude von Riegan, My Unit | Byleth & Claude von Riegan
Series: Wherever the Wind May Take Us [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1593274
Kudos: 15
Collections: Slotumn Portfolio





	First Kiss Formula

The formula for first kisses are, that you lean in as your heart thumps, close your eyes, make contact, and it's a bit awkward, but also sweet and special and a memory you'll cherish for the rest of your life. 

Life doesn't go according to formulas. 

\---

Claude runs into Byleth at the Goddess Tower-- good ol' Teach, who seems a bit stoic but always listens to his (somewhat vague) ramblings about schemes and growing up as an outsider, without the sort of scrutinizing judgement or suspicion he'd come to expect.

Eventually, the topic flows to the legend about the tower, because every significant building or landmark has something like that tied to it and he'd unwittingly become an expert in them due to all the the sneaking around and researching during the year.

Most people usually wish to be together with the person they love here, but he doesn't have someone like that at the moment. (Well, maybe he does, but "love" is a bit strong, and he doubts it's going to last.)

He's not sure if he ever will, because the idea of getting that close to someone and sharing all the intimate details he's learned to hide as deep as possible is, frankly, fucking terrifying. And the other side would do the same, too-- a real person with real thoughts and emotions, trusting him with that much.

He has no idea how to handle that. 

So he chooses to focus on the easier (ha) things, once again talking of his ambitions to Teach, and she goes along with it without too many questions, even says she'll help him achieve those lofty dreams. 

It's a nice feeling, being accepted and supported. 

"Hey, Teach. Turn this way for a sec."

And he has the crazy thought that, maybe it would be okay to have one of those "special moments in life" with Teach, because she's Teach, and well, there are worse people to share your first kiss with. 

When their lips meet, he immediately confirms that he doesn't like her that way. It lasts for only a moment, and the silence afterwards is significantly longer. 

"...Well, that was awkward. Sorry."

Teach smiles and gives a firm, reassuring pat on the back, kind of like his mother and father and cousin used to. And he knows, even without words, that she understands. 

He almost feels like crying, for some reason, but manages to hold it back because that would make things even more awkward. 

\---

Lysithea turned eighteen a few days ago and feels like she's being crushed under all the paperwork, when she suddenly realizes she's never kissed anyone. 

She's too busy to court or be courted, and the only remotely romantic thing she's felt in her life so far is a stupid schoolgirl crush that's been lingering for three goddessdamned years.

And she won't ever have the time to truly get to know someone and fall in love with them, make eternal vows and throw a bouquet to the blessing of her friends, start a family, live to hear her kids say they want to be a great mage and lord like their mother one day.

She knows that all too well. 

But there are some things she wants to do just to say she did it, so she calls up one of the few servant working at the manor. 

He's about two or three years older than her with dark hair and green eyes-- decent looking guy, probably has some village girls fawning over him, but single. He doesn't see her as anything other than an employer, or maybe a little sister, which is good because things could get messy otherwise.

"Could you please lean down for a moment?"

It's probably an abuse of authority and not very noble (as Lorenz would put it) and blah blah blah, but she's tired and done thinking for the day. 

It's a kiss. It's just a fucking kiss. It's not that big of deal and wanting try it at least once in her stupid shortened lifespan isn't a crime.

"...You may go now."

There's confusion and a little bit of pity in his eyes before he bows and leaves. 

She bawls into the pillow afterwards-- and she read somewhere that angry tears are saltier than sad tears, but she can't tell which one it is this time. 

At any rate, it's a pretty pathetic (and childish) thing to do after a first kiss. 

\---

The kisses afterwards are a little more pleasant. 

Lysithea isn't taking flying lessons from Claude anymore, because Professor told her to concentrate on magic again, but they still meet up at libraries after it gets dark. 

And it just happens one night, when they're both feeling too tired to overthink as they usually do. It's hard to tell who initiated, but they meet somewhere between their height gap, with one leaning down and the other tip-toeing.

Then it happens again and again, wordlessly, desperately-- he always kisses like he's delivering everything he can't say in words yet, and she always kisses like every one will be her last. 

They never speak of it out loud, but both of them understand that's for the best. 

**Author's Note:**

> Byleth in this series is a cryptid who doesn't know what sex is and married the non-corporeal goddess goblin in her head, so she probably didn't quite understand why Claude kissed her lol. But she's also a supportive mentor and is willing to accept him through all his confused teenage bullshit.


End file.
